Machine for operating upon hides, skins, and pieces of leather



AND PIECES OF LEATHER June 2, 1936.

H: A. BALLARD SKINS,

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON "HIDES Filed March 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 2, 1936. H. A. BALLARD 2,042,495

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND PIECES OF LEATHER Filed March 28, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNl/ENTOR H u-Q Q, E5

June 2, 1936. H. A. BALLARD 2,042,495

AND PIECES OF LEATHER MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES SKINS,

4 SheetsSheet 5 Filed March 28, 1933 /IJU!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ /Nl EN TOR June 2, was. H, A BAL D 2,042,495

AND PIECES OF LEATHER MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES SKINS Filed March 28, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //v l/EN TOR Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HI DE S, SKINS, AND PIECES OF'LEATHER Harrie A. Ballard, Beverly, Mass., assignor to The Turner Tanning Machinery Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application March 28,

15 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather. While the invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine for performing fleshing operations upon hides and skins, it is to be understood that the invention and various important features thereof may have other applications and uses. Machines commonly employed in beamhouse operations upon hides and skinscomprise characteristically a bladed cylinder, a bed roll for presenting the work to the cylinder, and one or more pinch or feed rolls arranged inco-operative rela-' tion with respect to the bed roll and operative with the bed roll to feed the work past the bladed cylinder. Because of the nature of the work the bed roll is arranged to press the work yieldingly against the bladed cylinder so that the bedroll, while maintaining substantially uniform pressure on the work, may adjust its position in accordance '20 with variations in the thickness of the various portions of each piece of work as it passes between the bed roll and bladed cylinder. For the same reason, the feed rolls are arranged to press the work yieldingly against the bed roll- Since the bed roll, in its adjusting movements with respect to the bladed cylinder, moves also in directions toward and away from the feed rolls, provision should be made by Whichthe feed rolls are enabled to maintain proper feeding pressure in spite of variations in the thickness dimensions of the work and of the described movements of the bed roll. Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide for greater certainty and umformity in the feeding of hides, skins, and pieces of leather in beamhouse and other similarlyconstructed machines, and to secure better treatment of the pieces of work due to better control thereof while they .are undergoing machine operations. Other objects of the invention are to provide a machine of the beamhouse type which'will be simple and durable in construction and especially efiicient for the purpose intended. To these ends, and in accordance with an important feature of the invention, there is provided in the illustrated machine a feeding means wherein a member operative to support a piece of work against the thrust of an operating tool is arranged to regulate the feeding pressure of another member or members as said first men tioned member adjusts itself to thetool in accommodating variations in the thickness of the piece of work undergoing treatment. By this arrange ment, as the work supporting member adjusts itself with respect to the tool to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work,a'corres'ponding movement of a work feeding member, or of a plurality of such members, is effected t'o insure uniformity in the feeding of the work in spite of such variations in the work Conveniently the work feeding member is mounted independently 1933, Serial No. 663,163

of the work supporting member and is positively moved through connections to said work supporting member whereby the work feeding member is caused to maintain a predetermined normal'spa'ced relation with respect to said work 5 supporting member during movement .of the latter to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work. In a preferred form of the invention the work supporting member is movable a1 ternately to receive the work and to present it to the work treating tool in an organization wherein the work feeding member is pivotally mounted for movement toward and. from the work presenting member, cam means being pro--' vided under control of the .work supporting and presenting member and operative to cause the work feeding member to maintain a predetermined'spaced relation with respect to the work supporting and presenting member.

In the illustrated construction, which is designed specially for operations upon large pieces of Work, such as hides and skins, wherein differences in the thickness dimensions in the various portions of each piece of Work are substantial in extent, two work feeding rolls are provided for co-operation with a bed roll in feeding the work past a work treating bladed cylinder, the work feeding rolls being mounted upon a carrier pivotally mounted in the frame of the machine in an arrangement wherein a cam and cam slot connection is provided between the bed roll and said carrier bywhich the latter is positively moved by the bed roll as the latter adjusts itself to variations in thickness of the Work, whereby the two work feeding rolls supported by the carrier are caused to make corresponding adjustments with respect to said bed roll to maintain a suitable feeding pressure of a predetermined min imum value during all movements of the bed roll while it is in Work presenting position with re- 40 spect to said bladed cylinder.

Other features of the invention relate to a ple and compact arrangement of driving means for the work feeding members includingthe wrorlg supporting and presenting member whereby;the

said members are driven from the bladedcylinder at the desired lower rate of 'speedathrough a. planetary reduction gear mechanism. i

These and other important features of the invention and novel combinations of parts will; nowbe described in detail in' the specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In' the drawings, c Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation and partly in section of a fleshing machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention; 4 V

Fig. 2 is an end View looking from the right nine; 1 with parts broken away to disclose Sllbof'the nut 42 on the rod 32.

stantially all of the operating structure to the line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an end view partly in section and looking from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the work engaging parts of the machine; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating various positions of the work presenting and work feeding members. I

In the illustrated machine, which is designed specially for fleshing operations upon untanned hides and skins, there is provided as the operating tool a cylinder Ill having blades l2 particularly adapted to remove connective tissue, fat, and flesh scraps or bits from the flesh surfaces of hides and skins. It is to be undertood, however, that a cylinder with another type of blade maybe substituted for the fieshing cylinder when itis desired to put-out a tanned skin or set a tanned hide or when it is desired to perform oneof the other beamhouse operations upon untanned hides or skins, such as unhairing or sendding or putting-out. The cylinder I0 is mounted on a shaft II for rotation in hearings in the frame of the machine, the shaft ll of the cylinder being provided with a pulley 14 which may be driven from any suitable source of power.

For presenting pieces of work, such as that shown at [5, to the bladed cylinder there is provided in the illustrated construction a, work support in the form of a bed roll l6, shaft ll of which is carried in bearings provided by swing arms 18v and mounted for rocking movement about a pivotal axis below the bed roll. For moving the bed roll l5 between the work receiving position of Fig. 3 and the work presenting position of Figs. 4 and 5, there is provided a shaft 22 rotatable in journals in the machine frame, the said shaft carrying a pair of eccentrics one of which is shown at 24 in Figs. 3 and 4. Surrounding each eccentric 24 is an eccentric strap 26 with which there is rigidly connected a. slotted arm 28 serving as a pitman by which the eccentric is connected to the swing arm I8. Extending through an opening in a hub portion 30 of saidarm 28 is a rod 32 to the free end of which is fastened a slide member 34 having oppositely disposed grooves to receive slidably the side bars of the arm 28. Interposed between the hub portion 3! of the arm 28 and the slide member 34 is a spring 36 surrounding said rod 32. At its other end the rod 32 is extended through a sleeve 38 adjustable in a bearing 40 carried by the swing arm 18, the said rod 32 being prevented from endwise movement in one direction within the sleeve 38 by its head portion 42 rigid with the end of the rod 32. It will be understood that the sleeve 38 which is screw threaded within the bearing 40 is adjustable to permit adjustment of the rod 32 with respect to the pitman 28, adjustment of the tension of the spring 36 being secured by proper manipulation ment of parts it is possible to adjust initially the pressure with which the bed roll I6 is caused to press the work against the bladed cylinder 10, and to vary such pressure in accordance with the demands of the work and. as required by wear upon both the bed roll and the bladed cylinder. It is to be understood that the description of the parts by which motion is transmitted from the eccentric 24 to the swing arm l8 applies with 1 equal force to the driving parts between the cor- By this arrangeresponding eccentric, not shown, and the swing arm 20. For connecting the two swing arms there is provided a cross bar 44 (Figs. 1 and 4).

Toinsure proper feeding of the work there is provided in the illustrated construction a pair of feed rolls 5!! and 52 which co-operate with thebed roll l6. For convenience the roll 5% may be referred to as a feed roll while the roll 52 may be designated a pinch roll although both rolls perform substantially the same function in 1 feeding the work. It will be readily apparent upon inspection of Figs. 4 and 5 that the bed roll I6 will yield to the right in these figures when a thicker portion of the work is fed in between said bed roll and the bladed cylinder iii. 1

In order that the feed roll and pinch roll 52 may be caused to maintain substantially the same spaced relation with respect to the bed roll l6 as, thelatter moves back and forth with respect to the bladed cylinder ID to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work, the said rolls 50 and 52 are mounted upon a carrier comprising two like members 54 pivoted upon shafts 56 and 51 in alinement with each other in the upper part of the frame of the machine. Hence the carrier is mounted for rocking move ment about a pivotal axis furnished by shafts 56 and 51 located above the bed roll and substantially vertically over the pivotal axis of the swing arms which support the bed roll. This 3 mounting of the carrier 54 to rock on an axis almost directly over the bed roll constitutes part of a simple and eflicient construction for securing' movement of the feed rolls in properly spaced relation to the bed roll. carrier member 54 is provided with a swing arm having a bearing 51a. (Fig. 1) for a shaft 53 of the feed roll 5|], the said swing arm 55 being pivoted. at 59 to the carrier 54 and to a block or clevis 60' having rigidly connected thereto the lower end of a rod 62 which passes through a threaded sleeve 64 adjustable in a block 66 pivoted at 68 in an upper part of the member 54. Surrounding the rod 62 is a spring 10 which is tensioned to force the block or clevis 60 downwardly with a yielding pressure whereby the feed roll 50 may be pressed yieldingly against a piece of work on the bed roll Hi. It is to be understood that the other end of the shaft 58 of the feed roll 50 is similarly supported in the other carrier member 54 for yielding movement to secure a yielding pressure on the feed roll 59 with respect to work on the bed roll at the other ends of said rolls.

. Upon inspection of Fig. 4 it will be observed that the pinch roll 52 is mounted upon the carrier members 54 in substantially the same manner as. the feed roll 50, a block or clevis 12 being backed by a spring 14 and being held against separation from the carrier member 54 by a rod (3 1.6 rigidly secured to said block or clevis 12. Pivoted to the block or clevis 12 at 18 is a swing arm 80 adapted rotatably to support one end of a shaft 82 upon which the feed roll 52 is mounted.

It will be clear then that the support for the (1 shaft 82 of the feed roll 52 is the carrier 5:2, since the rods 16, which furnish the direct support for the adjacent ends of the swing arms 80, are onnectedto and Supported by the said carrier 54.

As shown in Fig, 4, the swing arm 80 is pivoted upon a shaft 86 in the frame of the machine so that the roll 52 during its downward movement is constrained to move about the axis of the shaft 86. In other words, the shaft 86 and the swing arm connections thereto furnish a guiding 7 Each pivoted means for the feed roll 52 during movements of the latter.

Preferably, and as shown, the carrier members 54 are controlled by connections with the bed roll I6, said connections comprising an extension 90 rigid with each swing arm I8 and 20, each extension 90 carrying at its end a cam roll 92 fitted for movement along a cam slot 94 in a forwardly projecting portion 96 of each carrier member 54.

As will readily be observed upon inspection of Fig. 4, movement of the bed roll I6 and of the swing arm l8 to the right in said figure will result in rocking the carrier member 54 about the axis of its pivot 56 in a counterclockwise direction with the result that during the first part of said movement the feed roll 50 and the pinch roll 52 are caused to move with the bed roll I6 to maintain their predetermined spaced relation with respect to the bed roll I6. In other words, a suitable feeding pressure between the two rolls 50, 52 and the bed roll I6 is maintained in spite of work-adjusted movement of the bed roll I6 away from the bladed cylinder I0. Upon the described movement of the swing arm I8 to the right in Fig. 4 to accommodate a thicker portion of the work between it and the bladed cylinder I0, the carrier member 54, in moving about its pivots at 56 and 51, carries the feed roll 50 in an upward direction along an arc whose center is found in the axis of the pivot 56. At the same time the pinch roll 52, which is on the other side of the pivot 56, is moved downwardly and forwardly so as to maintain its proper spaced relation with respect to the bed roll I6. Proper movement of the pinch roll 52 is secured by the action of the carrier member 54 in co-operation with swing arms 80 pivoted upon shaft 86 in the frame of the machine.

The relationship of the two feed rolls 50, 52

with respect to the bed roll I6 at the extremes 'of the inner and outer movements of adjustment of the bed roll I6 with respect to the bladed cylinder I is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. Solid lines are employed to indicate the relationship of the roll 50, 52 to the bed roll I6 when the bed roll I6 is spaced at its minimum distance with respect to the cylinder I0, the relationship of the same rolls 50, 52 with respect to the bed roll I6 being shown in dash lines when the bed roll is at its extreme position of adjustment away from the bladed cylinder to accommodate the thickest portions of the work for which the particular machine is adapted. This figure also shows in dot-and-dash lines the relative positions of the feed rolls 50, 52 with respect to the bed roll I6 when the latter is in open or work receiving position. From this figure it will be seen that the feed roll 50 is lifted away from the path of the bed roll I6 while the latter is moving to work receiving position so that the two rolls 50 and I6 do not contact with each other during movement of the bed roll to work receiving position nor during movement of the bed roll back toward work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinder I0. By this latter arrangement a piece of work positioned upon the bed roll I6 while the latter is in work receiving position is not carried forcibly into contact with the feed roll 50 while the bed roll is moving to work presenting position, the arrangement being such that the feed roll 50 moves into work gripping position with respect to the work on the bed roll I6 an instant before the bed roll presents the work to the bladed cylinder I0. It will furthermore be observed that, while the pinch roll 52 follows the bed roll during outward adjusting movement of the latter away from the bladed cylinder I0, the pinch roll 52 is retracted as the bed roll advances toward work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinder I0, the pinch roll being operative, however, to engage the piece of work on the bed roll I6 just before the work ispresented to the cylinder I0. It follows from the foregoing disclosure that the feed rolls 50, 52 maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation with respect to the bed roll I6 while the latter is in work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinder I0 even though the bed roll varies considerably in its spacing with respect to the cylinder in accommodating variations in the thickness of the work. By this arrangement proper feeding of the work is secured at all times and particularly at the time when prior constructions are apt to fail, that is, when thick portions of the work appear between the bed roll and the bladed cylinder, causing the bed roll to move away from the bladed cylinder and also away from the feed rolls since the latter were not constructed and arranged to follow the bed roll.

Means is provided in the illustrated machine for driving all of the movable parts of the machine from a single shaft, an advantage being that in motorizing the machine only one motor will be needed to furnish the necessary power. Conveniently the movable parts are driven from the shaft of the bladed cylinder, this being effectedthrough an especially compact andadvantageous arrangement of gear mechanism, as will now be described. Upon reference particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the shaft II of the bladed cylinder I0 carries at its rightend a pinion I00 arranged in mesh with gears I02, I04 carried by stub shafts I06, I08, respectively, said shafts being mounted in bearings provided by a circular movable plate IIO rotatable within a casing H2. Fixed to the shaft I06 is a pinion H4 and to shaft I08 a similar pinion II6, pinions H4 and H6 being in mesh with a circular rack bar II8 secured to the casing II2. Since the rack bar H8 is stationary the pinions I I4 and H6 not only rotate but travel bodily around a path concentric with respect to the circular rack. This means that the plate H0 is rotated by the travel of the pinions H4, H6. Secured to travel with the plate H0 is a pinion I concentric with respect to the axis of the shaft I I, said pinion I20 being arranged in mesh with a large gear wheel I22 freely rotatable upon the shaft 22 when it is not clutched thereto. Arranged in mesh with the gear wheel I22 is a gear I 24 secured to a shaft I26 to which is fastened a somewhat smaller gear I28 arranged in mesh with a gear I30 fixed upon a shaft'l32 journaled at one end in a bored out portion of pivot shaft 51. It will thus be seen that shafts I26 and 56 are continuously driven so long as the shaft I I of the bladed cylinder is in rotation.

Secured to the shaft I26 (Fig. 3) is a gear I34 arranged in mesh with a gear I36 secured to the shaft 86 which also carries fixed thereto a pinion I40. Pinion I40 is in mesh with a pinion I42 carried by a stub shaft I44 on the swing arm 80, said pinion I42 being also in mesh with a pinion I46 on the shaft 02 which carries the pinch r011 52.

Hence, pinch roll 52 is continuously rotated while V the bladed cylinder I0 is in rotation.

Fixed to the shaft 56 is a gear I50 in mesh with a pinion I52 secured to the stub shaft 59, the latter carrying also fixed thereto a second pinion I56 which is in mesh with apinion I58 secured the shaft to rotate the latter.

to the shaft 58 of the feed roll 50. It follows that the feed roll 50 is continuously rotated .while the bladed cylinder I is in rotation.

The bed roll I6 is stationary while: it is in work receiving position so that the operator may place a piece of work thereon. Furthermore, the bed roll does not begin its rotation until just aninstant before it presses the work against the bladed cylinder I0. For driving the bed roll in the manner described there is provided a. longtoothed gear I60 (Fig. 4) secured to the shaft I1 of the bed roll. To mesh with the gear I60 for the purpose of driving the latter is a long-toothed gear I62 secured to the shaft 58 of thefeed roll 50. Hence, as the bed roll approaches the bladed cylinder I0 the two gears I60, I62 come into mesh with each other whereby the shaft I1 of the bed roll is driven from the continuously rotating shaft 58 of the feed roll 50.

As heretofore pointed out the continuously rotating gear wheel I22 (Fig; 2) is mounted for rotation upon the shaft 22 but may be clutched to This clutching of the gear wheel I 22 to the shaft 22 may be accom- I plished through clutch mechanism of a wellknown construction such as that indicated at I in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Upon depressing a treadle I12 (Figs. 1 and 3) the clutch I10 is actuated to clutch the gear wheel I22 to the shaft 22 1 I12 is again actuated by the operator.

with the result that the shaft 22 is rotated, but only for one-half turn, the purpose being to move the'bed roll I6 between work receiving and work presenting positions and to maintain said bed roll in one or the other position until the treadle In the illustrated construction this is accomplished by connections from the treadle I12 which comprise a lever I14 (Fig. 1) pivoted at I16 on the frame of the machine and arranged to be operated by the treadle I12 upon downward movement of the latter. Upon downward movement of said treadle I12, a lever I18 pivoted at I80 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction, thus pulling down upon a rod I82 by which a boss member I 84 is displaced with respect to a cooperating boss member I86, thus permitting the member I86 to move to the right in Fig. 1 under pressure of a spring I88 whereby the clutch I10 is thrown into operation and at the same instant a brake device at I90 is released. Since the treadle I 12 is released after its first depression by the operator, the boss member I84 is returned to its initial position by a spring I92 (Figs. 1 and 2) so that the boss member I86 at the end of a half revolution rides back upon the high point of the boss member I84, thus releasing the clutch and resetting the brake I90. It' follows that, upon depressing the treadle I12 while the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the shaft 22 is rotated together with its eccentrics 24 whereby the pitmen 28 are operated to move the bed roll I6 to work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinder II, the shaft 22 stopping at the end of a half revolution to hold the bed roll in its work presenting position (Fig. 4). Subsequently the operator steps upon the treadle I12 a second time whereby the shaft 22 is caused to rotate through ano-ther'180" to return the bed roll I6 to the work receiving position of Fig. 3.

- In operating the machine a piece of work, such as a hide or'skin I5, is placed over the'bed roll I6 with about one-half of the hide or skin'haiiging down from the rear side of the bed roll. The operator then depresses the treadle "I12 whereupon the bedroll is caused to move to work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinder I I. As the bed roll approaches the cylinder II the feed roll 50 moves toward the bed roll to grip the work on the bed roll-just an instant before the latter presses the work against the cylinder I I. Furthermore, the pinch roll 52 is so positioned at the end of the movement of the bed roll as to press the work firmly against the bed roll so that both feed roll 50 and pinch roll 52 serve in co-operation with the bed roll I6 as work feeding means, both feed rolls and the bed roll turning in the direction to feed the workout of the machine toward the operator while the bladed cylinder I 0 operates upon the work. Since the bed roll I6 is held yieldingly in its work presenting position with respect to the cylinder I0, by springs 36, it may yield away from the cylinder when thicker portions of the work appear between the bed roll and cylinder, this movement of the bed roll being accompanied-by corresponding movements of the feed roll 50 and pinch roll 52 whereby full feeding pressure between the feed rolls and the bed roll'is maintained. Furthermore, when thinner portions of the work appear between the bed roll and cylinder the bed roll moves closer to the cylinder followed again by the feed roll 50 and the pinch roll 52. It will be understood that the machine is adjusted to operate upon pieces of work most effectively within a certain range of thicknesses. Hence, no matter how much a given piece of work may vary in thickness within said given range the work feeding means remains highly effective, thereby contributing markedly to the good results obtained in the operation of the machine upon the pieces of work.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for treating sheet material, a tool for operating on a piece of work, a member arranged to support the piece of work against the thrust of the. tool, said tool having its operating surface arranged substantially parallel to the work supporting surface of the work supporting member, two work feeding members spaced from each other upon opposite sides of a plane passing vertically through the work supporting member and each arranged to co-operate with the work supporting member in feeding the work, and connections between said work feeding members and the work supporting member positively operated by said work supporting member to cause the work feeding members to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations with respect to the work supporting member as the latter moves toward or away from the tool in accommodating variations in the thickness of the work.

2. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work, a rotary tool for operating on a piece .of Work, a member movable alternately to receive the piece .of work and to present it to the tool, said tool having its axis of rotation arranged substantially parallel to the work supporting surface work supporting member, a work fee ng member pivotally mounted for movement toward and from said work presenting member and arranged to cooperate with the latter in feeding the work, and cam means under control of the work presenting member to cause the feeding member to maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation with respect to the work presenting member irrespective of the thickness of the work as the latter passes between the work presenting mem'- ber and'the tool.

"the

3. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work, a rotary tool for operating on a piece of work, a member operative to support and present pieces of work to the tool, said tool having its axis of rotation arranged substantially parallel to the work supporting surface of the work supporting member, two work feeding members arranged to co-operate with the first-mentioned member in feeding pieces of work past the tool, a carrier for the work feeding members pivotally mounted independently of the work presenting member, and a cam and slot connection between the work presenting member and said carrier arranged to be positively operated by the work presenting member to cause said work feeding members to move in conjunction with the work presenting member to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations between said feed members and the work presenting member during movement of the latter to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work passing between said member and said tool.

4. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work, a rotary tool for operating on a piece of work, a member arranged to support a piece of work against the thrust of the tool, said tool having its axis of rotation arranged substantially parallel to the work supporting surface of the work supporting member, said work supporting member being movable about a pivotal axis to accommodate variations in the thickness dimensions of the work passing between said member and said tool, a work feeding member arranged for co-operation with said work supporting member, a carrier for the work feeding member movably mounted in the frame of the machine to rock about a pivotal axis substantially vertically over the firstmentioned axis, and connections between the work supporting member and said carrier to cause the latter to move the feeding member in conjunction with the work supporting member to maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation between said members irrespective of the thickness of the work as the latter passes between the work presenting member and the tool.

5. In a machine for treating hides, skins, and pieces of leather, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon, a yieldingly mounted bed roll operative to support pieces of work against the thrust of the bladed cylinder, swing arms supporting said bed roll and movable about a pivotal axis below the bed roll, two feed rolls arranged upon opposite sides of a plane passingvertically through the bed roll when the latter is in workpresenting relation to the bladed cylinder to cooperate with the bed roll in feeding pieces of work past the bladed cylinder, a carrier for the two feed rolls mounted in the frame of the machine to rock about a pivotal axis substantially over the axis of rotation of the bed roll while the latter is pressing the work against the bladed cylinder, and connections between said carrier and the bed roll arranged to be positively operated by the latter to maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation between the feed rolls and the bed roll during movements of the bed roll with respect to the bladed cylinder in acccommodating variations in the thickness of the work passing between said bed roll and said cylinder.

6. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its directions of feed and to operate thereon, a bed roll mounted to yield relatively to the cylinder and operative to support pieces of work,

against the thrust of the bladed cylinder, a feed roll arranged to co-operate with the bed rol-l ;in feeding pieces of work past the bladed cylinder, swing arms supporting said bed roll and movable about a pivotal-axis below the bed roll tocarry the bed roll between work-receiving and work-presenting positions relative to said cyI- inder, a carrier for the feed roll mounted independently of the bed roll, said carrier being mounted to rock about a pivotal axis substantiallly over the bed roll when the latter is, inwork-presenting relation tothe cylinder, and con' nections between the bed roll and said carrier arranged to be positively operated by the bed roll to cause said feed roll to move with the bed roll to maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation between the feed roll and bed roll during movements of the latter to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work passing between said bed roll and said cylinder.

7. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverseto its direction of feed and to operate thereon,

a bed roll mounted to yield relatively to the cyl-- inder and operative to support pieces of work against the thrust of the bladed cylinder, a feed roll arranged to co-operate with the bed roll in" feeding pieces of work past the bladed cylinder, a carrier for the feed roll pivotally mounted; inthe frame of the machine, said carrier having a cam slot, and a cam roll carried by said bed roll and movable along said cam slot to effect move ment of the carrier and of the feed roll carried thereby to maintain a predetermined normal spaced relation between the feed roll and the bed roll during adjusting movements of the latter with respect to the bladed cylinder.

8. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon,

a bed roll movable between work receiving and" tion with respect to the bedro-ll during adjust:-

ing movements of the latter with respect, to the bladed cylinder in accommodating variations in thickness of the work passing between said bed roll and said cylinder. I

9. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon, a bed roll movable between work receiving and Work presenting positions with respect to said bladed cylinder, said bed roll being mounted to yield with respect to said cylinder, a feed roll arranged to co-operate with the bed roll in feeding the work, a carrier for the feed roll pivoted in the frame of the machine, and cam means controlled by the bed roll to move said carrier and the feed roll carried thereby to maintain the feed roll in predetermined normal spaced relation to the bed roll during movements of the latter in acccommodating variations in the thickness of the work passing between said bed roll and said cylinder. 7 V

10..In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon, a bed roll movable between workreceiving and work presenting positions with respect tosaid bladed cylinder, said bed roll being mounted to yield with respect to said cylinder, a feed roll arranged to co-operate with the bed roll in feeding the work, a carrier for the feed roll movably mounted in the frame of the machine, a pinch roll arranged for co-operation with the bed'roll in feeding the work, means to mount the pinch roll movably in the frame of the machine, means carried by the carrier and arranged to back the pinch roll yieldingly against pressure of thework on the bed roll, and means operated by the bed roll to move the carrier to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations between the bed roll in engagement with one side of the work and the feed and pinch rolls in engagement with the other side of the work whereby the feeding pressure of the two rolls with respect to the bed roll is maintained during adjusting movements of the bed roll with respect to the bladed cyllnder;

11. In a machine for treating sheet material,

roll, connections between the pinch roll and said carrier whereby the latter may move the former, and cam means operated by the bed roll to move said carrier, said carrier being arranged under the control of said cam means to move the feed roll and the pinch roll to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations between both rolls and the bed roll while the latter is moving to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work,

passing between the bed roll and the bladed cylinder.

12. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arrangedto spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon, a

bed roll movable between work receiving and work presenting positions with respe ct to said bladed: cylinder, said bed roll being mounted to yield relatively to said cylinder, a feed roll arranged to co-operate with thev bed roll in feeding the work, a carrier for the feed roll movably. mounted in the frame of the machine, a pinch roll arranged for co-operation with the bed roll in feeding the work, means carried by the carrier yieldingly to back the pinch roll, and means operated by the bed roll to move the carrier to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations between the bed roll in engagement with one side of the workand the feed and pinch rolls in engagement with the other side of the work whereby the feeding pressure of the two rolls with respect to the bed roll is maintained during adjusting movements of the bed roll with respect to the bladed cylinder.

13. In a machine for treating sheet material, a bladed cylinder constructed and arranged to spread a hide or skin out in directions transverse to its direction of feed and to operate thereon, a bed roll movable between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said bladed cylinder, said bed roll being mounted to yield relatively to said cylinder, a feed roll arranged to cooperate with the bed roll in feeding the work, a carrier for the feed roll pivotally mounted in the frame of the machine, a pinch roll mounted to move with said carrier, and cam means operated by the bed roll to move said carrier, said carrier being arranged under the control of said cam means to move both the feed roll and the pinchroll to maintain predetermined normal spaced relations between both rolls and the bed roll while the latter is moving to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work passing between the bed roll and the bladed cylinder.

14. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work, a rotary cylinder, power means arranged to drive said cylinder continuously, a bed roll movable between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said cylinder, a feed roll for co-operation with the bed roll in feeding the work past the cylinder, a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame of the machine, connections between the shaft and the bed roll arranged to move the latter alternately between work receiving and work presenting positions, a gear wheel mounted for rotation on said shaft, a driving connection between the power driven cylinder and said gear wheel to drive the latter continuously during rotation of the cylinder, a driving connection between said gear wheel and said feed roll whereby the latter is driven continuously during rotation of the said cylinder, and a treadle operated clutch mechanism arranged to connectsaid'gear wheel to said shaft to move the bed roll alternately between work receiving and work presenting positions.

15. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, leather, and other similar pieces of work, a rotary cylinder, power means arranged to drive said cylinder continuously, a bed roll movable between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said cylinder, a feed roll for co-operation with the bed roll in feeding the work past the cylinder, a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame of the machine, connections between the shaft and the bed roll arranged to move the latter alternately between work receiving and work presenting positions, a gear wheel mounted for rotation on said shaft, a planetary reduction gear mechanism arranged to be driven by said power driven cylinder and also arranged to drive said gear wheel continuously during rotation of said cylinder, a gear in mesh with said gear wheel and arranged to drive the feed roll, and a treadle operated clutch mechanism arranged to secure said gear wheel to said shaft for revolution of said shaft through only upon each operation of the treadle operated mechanism, whereby the bed roll is moved alternately to work receiving position and Work presenting position and maintained in one position or the other until subsequent operation-of the treadle operated clutch mechanism. I

HARRIE A. BALLARD. 

